Her heart was racing as she stared at Ethan who was waiting for an answer.
When she could not take the pressure anymore, she folded.
"Prince Edward asked me to do it, I am under Prince Edward's jurisdiction," Penelope confessed with her head lowered.
Camden shook his head at once. Prince Edward was beginning to annoy him, and he knew he wasn't the only one who was irritated.
"Oh, it's my brother, I should have realized it," Ethan sighed while shaking his head.
"Camden, throw her into the dungeon, and make an example of her, if anyone chooses to betray me, this would be their outcome, meanwhile, I should visit my brother, let's catch up," Ethan snickered as he walked out.
"You should not have done that, you know how Prince Ethan is, and you still decided to betray him, that is a crime he detests," Camden shook his head as he gestured for the guards to drag her to the dungeon.
The reality gradually sank into Penelope, and she tried to struggle.
"Let me go, Camden, you need to help me, you know I am loyal to His Highness, it was a moment of desperation, Adelaide arrived, and she was about to take my place, Prince Edward took advantage of that," Penelope cried as they pulled her away.
The maids did not feel sorry for her. She has always been pompous. To them, they felt that the humiliation she was facing was karma.
"You should know that you never had a place in Prince Ethan's life, do not be delusional," Camden corrected her, and Penelope turned silent, with tears streaming down her face.
She knew Camden's words were correct, but she could not accept it.
Unfortunately for her, Ethan always fulfilled his words. Which means, she would be used as an example to people who had thoughts of betraying the Crown Prince.
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Ethan took slow steps towards his brother's courtyard. His face was blank, but anyone who truly knew him, would know that he was in a terrible mood.
And once he was in such a mood, those who had offended him would be the ones to suffer.
"Greetings, Your Highness," the guards greeted him once he got there, and they obstructed him from entering.
Ethan scoffed at seeing this. Clearly, Edward was trying to pay him back for not letting him into his courtyard earlier.
"I want to see my brother," Ethan spoke nonchalantly without sparing a glance to the guards. If he wanted to go in, nothing could stop him.
"I am sorry, Your Highness, but you cannot come in, Prince Edward is currently busy," The guards lowered their heads as one of them responded, still not making way for Ethan.
Ethan raised his eyebrows. It seemed Edward was about to use the same method he used on him.
He was not angry. Rather, he felt that the matter was laughable.
"Are you sure you won't let me in?" Ethan asked as he stared straight at the guards who lowered their heads even more.
Ethan's aura was intimidating, and they could not handle it. They felt under pressure while with Ethan.
"We are sorry, Your Highness, we are only following instructions," the other guard replied with trembling lips.
"Okay," Ethan replied, and walked away.
But as he walked away, he counted backwards.
'Ten,' he muttered to himself.
"Ethan!" He heard his name, and a smile appeared on his face.
He swiftly turned back to see Edward standing at the gate of his courtyard.
"You can come in, Brother, don't mind these guards of mine, they are not knowledgeable," Edward smiled, and the guards' faces changed as they stared at Edward with complaints in their eyes.
"I am not angry, I knew the guards were probably making a mistake," Ethan smiled, but both of them understood that they were both accommodating each other, and there was no truth in their words.
A few minutes later, Edward brought Ethan into the living room of his courtyard, Madeline was still present.
Ethan looked at her for a few seconds, before he turned his head away, without reacting to her presence.
Madeline noticed this, and her hands clenched immediately. She swallowed her words of greeting which she was about to say.
"Brother, have a seat," Edward smiled hypocritically, and Ethan noticed it, but he did not point it out.
Edward has always been like that, and Ethan who had spent his entire life with him was aware of it.
"Hey, you, get a cup of the finest tea for my brother, my brother decided to visit me today, it is a thing of joy for me, we need to celebrate it," Edward ordered one of the maids, who bowed before walking away.
Ethan watched him give out orders, and he sneered inwardly.
After a few minutes, Ethan was served, but he did not bother to pick the cup.
He stared at Edward who was seated opposite him, Madeline was on Edward's side as his eyes darted between both of them.
"Why did you do it?" Ethan asked, his question throwing the two off guard.
"What did you mean by that?" Edward asked as confusion marred his face.
"Don't play dumb, I have finally figured it out, why did you order Penelope to poison Adelaide? You need to forget that you are my father's son, I will deal with you the same way I do with others," towards the end of Ethan's statement, his voice turned cold.
Edward swallowed as he exchanged glances with Madeline who was just as confused as he was.
"Ethan, Penelope is one of your people, how would I be able to convince her to poison your Princess Consort?" Edward asked with a shrug of his shoulders.
Well Edward was not wrong in his words, but there was a loophole in his words. He seemed to have forgotten that he was the one who introduced Penelope to Ethan.
Ethan beamed. He was expecting Edward to deny, but regardless, Ethan would find out who was the one who poisoned Adelaide.
He was aware that Edward was the culprit, but his hands were tied. At the end of the day, Edward was still a royal member. He could not treat him the same way he treated commoners.